Shizuka Arakawa's Olympic triumph and the media hype surrounding women's figure skating belies the grossly inadequate training environment that Japan's top skaters face and the escalating training costs they shoulder in the absence of meaningful support from the government or corporations.
Currently, there is a large stable of world-class or near world-class skating talents in this country, but unless steps are taken to improve facilities and lighten their financial burden, there is a distinct danger they may not bring home the titles the whole nation now seems to be hankering after.
At present, six of the world's top 15 women figure skaters are said to be Japanese. Since Midori Ito became the first Asian to capture the World Championship nearly 20 years ago, Japanese women have turned their slender, light and strong physiques to their advantage to excel in this showcase winter sport long the preserve of Europeans and North Americans.